Saw-supporting log clamp



April 18, 1950 D. P. ANDREWS ETAL SAW-SUPPORTING LOG CLAMP 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Deg/ 28, 1945 April 18, 1950 D. P. ANDREWS ETAL SAW-SUPPORTING LOG CLAMP 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 28, 1945 w we d H "M R w m 9 4 n 0 e Patented Apr. 18, 1950 "Daiyl. Andrews and L'Beniamin 'D. Heeger, Menorah Grove, Moi

Applies-amusement, memorials. 637,544

'2' aim. (or. I'M-30?) This invention. relatesgeneralllyto "the class or clamps or" holding devices andpertains particularly to an improved clampingdevioedor application. to standing trees or 'logs to iacliitate the support and'guidanceof-asaw.

A primary objector the gpresentzfinvcntion is't'o provide a device designedtohezreadilyapplied or clamped to a tree or'log; "for" the support and guidance or asaw, which: constructe-dland "arranged in such a manner? zthatiitrnay be easily and quickly roughly adjusted to the-proper dimensions for receiving the treetrunk" orilog and may then be readily tightened uninthegripping or clam ing position by theus'e of a-ihandlever,

Another object of the invention "is to; provide a device of the above described characten. .wherein the hand' lever mechanism for completingthe' gripping ofth'e clamp upon the tree or log is of novel form to facilitate the completion of the operation in a minimum o'ftime and with a-mini mum of effort.

Still'another object of the invention is to' provi'de, in a device of the character stated;,a.;novelmechanism for securing the hand leyr: againstreleasing movement'. which means is of? such character as to .be itself eas'il'y sand quickly act'u-. ated so that the hand lever. may he freed for operation without difiiculty.

The invention. will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailedidescription taken in connection with the accornpanying, drawings forming .apart of the specification, with the understanding, however, thatv the invention is not. confined to a strict conformity with the showing of the drawings but may be changed or modified solon'g. as-su ch changes-oi: modifications. mark no mat'erial departurezirom the salient features: of the invention as expressed invthe appended claims;

In the drawings Figure 1) is a view in side elevation of: a log clamp constructed in accordance with thepresent invention; a

Figure 2 is. aview onv an enlarged s jl'e-aand in Figure 5- is a transverse-section the iineF-lioffigure 3"; 7-;

Referringnow more particularly toithe "draw inns. the numeral il genereily decimated one of the two cooperating sections of the clampwh'ile the other section is generallydesignatedl l. clamp section it! comprises the relatively lone flat bar 12 having formed. along the outer longltudinal edge, the teeth I 3.

At one end the bar l2 has formed integral therewith and extending perpendicularly from the edge opposite from the toothed edge [3, the jaw section l4 and the inner side of this jaw section. carries a number of spurs Li for eng aging and holding a logor tree trunk At the opposite end of the bar l2 from the jaw I4 there is bolted to the bar the' steelplate' l6 to which is fastened in a suitable manner, the wooden block IT. This wood block s''rves'as a hearing" member or rub late for a cross cut or similar type of saw and is designed. particularly to provide a plate for the free outer end of a mechanically operated saw such, for example, as that illustrated in our co-pending application Serial No. 505,970, filed October 12, 1943 andissued May 13, 1947, as Patent No. 2,420,406.

While the present clamping device is of such character that it may be used in association with amanually operated two-man saw, to facilitate maintaining the saw in proper position, particularly where a standing tree is being cut, the clamp is also designed for attachment tothe mechanically operated saw of the application above identified so that the free unsupported end of such mechanically operated saw will be properly supported or maintained in working position The numeral l8 generally designates a runner or guide collar through-which the bar I 2 extends. This collar or runner is designed-for movementlongitudinally of the bar under the action of the hereinafter described manually operated mechanism whereby the two clamping sections l0 and" H are moved relatively to grip or release a: tree trunk or log.

Formedintegrally with the runner t8 and extending longitudinally of-one side thereof; isthe guides'l'e'eve H! which supports the clamp'section H in th'emanner about-to be described.

The clamp section H comprises' therelativcly long flat barill which at one end extends laterally to form the jaw section 2|, which jaw section terminates in the spur'22 which is directed toward-the-spurs i5 The-bar 2c is designed for extensionthrough: the-guide t9 and the":m /f'er'all height of the' guide Hi is slightly greater than the width of'thebar 20 and the top edge of the bar 20 is provided with two or more notches 23 which arena-length slightly greater than the length of the guide I9 so that when the bar 20 is shifted in guide I9 toward the narrow side thereof nearest to the notched edge of the bar, the guide may be engaged in a notch to prevent the longitudinal shifting of the bar 20 in the guide I9.

In order to maintain the bar 29 shifted in the guide I9 with the guide in one of the notches 23, there is provided the relatively long wedge pin 24 which is run into the guide I9 beneath the inner edge of the bar 20 and the adjacent narrow side of the guide. the bar 20 in a direction to disengage the guide Thus the shifting of I9 from a notch, is prevented and in' order to prevent the accidental movement of the wedge pin 24, after it has been placed in position, a

cotter key 25 is run through suitable alined openings in the wedge bar 24 and the adjacent parts of the guide I9, in the manner shown, to maintain the parts in locked relation.

Formed integrally with the runner I8 at the narrow side thereof remote from or outwardly from the narrow side nearest to the jaws I4 and 2|, there are formed the outwardly extending bearing ears 26 and in the space between these ears the wall of the runner I8 is cut away or open as indicated at 21, for the purpose about to be described.

Formed integrally with the guide sleeve portion I9 of the runner and in spaced parallel relation with the nearest bearing ear 26, is a ratchet ear 28, the outer edge of which has the ratchet teeth 29 formed therein.

Passing through the bearing ears 26 and the ratchet ear 28, is a pivot pin or bolt 33, one end of which is headed while the other end has threaded thereon a castellated nut 3I which is locked in position by the cotter key 32. This pivot bolt or pin 39 has rotatably mounted thereon, between the ears 26, the toothed wheel 33 which is in toothed connection with the teeth I3 of the bar I2.

The numeral 34 generally designates a sleeve which is formed at one end to provide the spaced legs 35. These legs are in straddling relation with the bearing ears 26 and, as shown, they have the pivot bolt 30 extended through them so that the sleeve 34 is oscillatable upon this bolt.

Extending through the sleeve 34 is the operating lever 36, the inner end portion of which is squared or flattened upon opposite faces as indicated at 37 for close co-action with the opposed inner sides of the legs 35, whereby the lever is held against axial movement or turning within the sleeve.

The outer end portion of the lever 36 is offset at 38 and provides the handle 33 by which the oscillation of the lever and sleeve iseffected. The inner end of the lever 36 is tapered or suitably shaped as indicated at 40 for engagement between teeth of the toothed wheel 33 whereby upon oscillation of the lever, desired rotary motion may be given to the wheel to efiect, through the medium of the rack teeth I3, desired relative movement of the jaws I4 and 2|. By lifting the lever 36 outwardly from the toothed wheel 33, the lever may be turned half way around'so that opposite rotation may be imparted to the toothed wheel 33 as desired.

1 At the inner end of the offset portion 38 there is formed the hook M with which is connected one end of a spring 42. The other end of-this spring is secured to the sleeve 34 as indicated at 43 so that the spring constantly tends to pull the lever 36 inwardly into engagement with thev to e whee 3 Upon the side of the sleeve 34 nearest to the ratchet ear 28, the sleeve has fixed thereto the pivot pin 44 and pivotally mounted upon this pin is a pawl lever 45, the inner end of which lever is formed to provide the pawl 46 which engages the ratchet ear 28 while the outer end of the lever 45 is formed to provide the grip 41 which engages in the palm of the hand when the outer end of the. lever 36 is grasped, so that the pawl lever 45 may'be'suitably oscillated to disengage the pawl 46 from between two of the pawl or :r'atchet teeth.

, The pawl lever 45 carries the short guide pin 48 which has sliding engagement through the apertured: ear 49 which is formed integrally with the outer end of the sleeve 34 and interposed between ,the ear 49 and the pawl lever 45, and

encircling the pin 48, is the expansion spring 50 which-constantly urges oscillation of the pawl lever 45 in a direction to engage the pawl 46 with the ratchet, teeth 29.

,lirom the foregoing it isbelieved that it will be',readi ly apparent that in the application of theclamp here'in'described, a rough adjustment may be first quickly made by removing the wedge pin 24 and shifting. the bar 29 inwardly or outwardly through, the guide sleeve I9 with respect to the jaw, I 4.'" [Then after the wedge pin 24 has been replaced to maintain the outer narrow side of the guide I9in anotch 23, the final clamping adjustment between the jaws I4 and 2I may be made by oscillating the lever 36 in a direction to turn the toothed wheel 33 in the proper manner for shifting the: bar I2 in 'a direction to move the jaw 14 toward the jaw 2|. As this is done the pawl: '43 will ride over the teeth 29 and hold thejtootl d wheelagainst reverse rotation.

,.Ma 1 1s"'may be provided for attaching the bar I2 to. th'e saw frame of an automatic sawing machine such as that disclosed in our co-pending application previously referred to, so that the free or forward end of the saw may pass over and bear upon'the block H. In the structure here illustrated the, end of the bar carrying the jaw I4 is shown'a having bolt openings 5| for passage of suitable curing bolts for other members whereby to effectthe desired connection between the clamp and the saw Operating machine.

Weclaim: Q 1 Q 1. A log clamp of thecharacter stated, com prising a relatively lone fiat bar having teeth formed along one longitudinal edge, a jaw integral with the bar atone end and extending from a longitudinal edge opposite from the teeth, a

tubular runner having the'bar extendedthere-i through, a sleeve integral with the runner at one side and extending longitudinally of the bari'asecond "bar extended through the sleeve, a jaw carried by the second bar for co-action with the first jaw, a pair of bearing ears formed integral with the tubular runner adjacent to the toothed edge 'ofthefir'st bar, a pivot pin extended through said ears transversely of the toothed edge of the first bar, a gear supported upon the pivot pin between said ears and having toothed connection with the bar teeth, a rocking-sleeve having a pair of pivot ears extending in parallel relation from one end'and receiving the bearing ears therebetween, "said pivot'ears having said pivot pin extended therethrough for the rocking of the sleeve in;the planeof the toothed bar, a lever extending into the rocking sleeve and formed for. connection-with said-gear between the teeth thereof whereby to eifect turning of the gear upon the rockingof the sleeve, means for constantlyhold- J ingsaid-lever positlon inthe rocking sleeve and in connection with said gear, and means forming a releasable looking connection between the rocking sleeve and the runner for maintaining the rocking sleeve, lever and gear against turning movement in one direction.

2. A log clamp of the character stated in claim 1, in which the last mentioned means comprises a fixed ratchet ear formed integral with the tubular runner adjacent to one bearing ear, a ratchet lever pivotally supported upon the rocking sleeve, a pawl integral with the lever and having engagement with the ratchet ear, a handle carried by the ratchet lever, and spring means connected between the ratchet lever and the rocking sleeve and normally urging oscillation of the lever in a direction to move the pawl into working engagement with the ratchet ear.

DALY P. ANDREWS.

BENJAMIN D. HEEGER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 63,468 Card Apr. 2, 1867 136,950 Young Mar. 18, 1873 221,176 Little Nov. 4, 1879 285,824 LiddelI Oct. 2, 1883 625,017 Brown May 16, 1899 1,072,313 Conte Sept. 2, 1913 1,583,613 Smith May 4, 1926 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 6,852 Germany Aug. 22, 1879 10,656 Great Britain May 20, 1899 

